A Different Matter
by BeyondTheBirthdayParty
Summary: Matt should be in front of the guns now, but instead he is captured by B. The game? To extend Matt's life as long as possible. Cheating death once is impressive, twice is luck, three times? Who knows. Re-Do of 'Matter of Time'
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Matt sat on the couch in his apartment. He was hunched over his gameboy as his fingers flew over the buttons. Bright lights flickered like fireworks across his goggles. Matt inhaled deeply and sighed as he flicked the power switch on the game. It was almost time to go. He had to do another mission for Mello about the Kira case. Matt sat up straight and stretched, feeling his finger crack.

He got up and headed to the door of the apartment after grabbing his keys and his gun from the drawer by his bed. Matt walked down the stairs and exited from the smoky back door. That reminded Matt he had to pick up some more cigarettes. He put his hands in the pockets of his vest and headed down the street. He breathed in the cold winter air and listened to the low murmur of the city.

Matt's footsteps made tapping noised against the concrete sidewalks of Japan. He passed a park and saw it was abandoned, save for a man who was sitting on a park bench. He looked homeless with mussed hair and dirty clothes. The man suddenly turned and looked Matt straight in the eye.

His eyes were black as pitch and he had bags under his eyes so dark they looked like makeup. He looked at Matt without blinking, looking him up and down. Matt shivered and quickened his pace and until he reached the store. He opened the door and paused for a moment while he felt a gust of warm air waft out at him. He then walked to the counter as he heard the jingle of bells of the door closing.

* * *

Change of View

Beyond sat in the park and stared at the door to the convenience store. How very curious. It wasn't the style of dress that concerned him, a black and white shirt with a vest and orange goggles was strange, but what concerned him was the date above his head. His name was 'Mail Jeevas' and he was going to die today.

Beyond got up from the fetal position he was sitting in. He got up and put his hands in his baggy pants. He was hunched over, not from the cold, but because it was habit. He didn't find it comfortable but he did it because that's what L would do. His goal was to be better that L, the '"world's greatest detective." One think he knew L had ever done was cheated death. If he could stop that man from dying, he would be like a god.

His hands flexed in his pockets and closed around the cord of a small weighted sandbag. He leaned against the wall as Matt walked out of the store, pausing to light up a cigarette. He mimicked the movements of the younger man until he reached the back door of his apartment. He saw the man reach into his pocket for his keys and that's when Beyond struck. He grabbed the string and swung the sandbag around once to build up momentum.

"Hey, What the hell are you-" Beyond swung the sandbag directly between Matt's eyes knocking him picked up Matt's body around the waist and, taking the keys from Matt's pocket, went to his apartment. Beyond locked the door and started looking around. After a couple hours he managed to find two guns, six game consoles, a large length of rope, a roll of duct tape, instant ramen, chocolate, and several other objects.  
Beyond got ready for the night, going to the bathroom and getting some water. He picked up Matt from the floor and taped him to one of the chairs in the kitchen. He waited for a while but Matt didn't move an inch. Beyond frowned and went to the television. Me turned on the tv which was set to the news station.

"In a recent attack on famous tv announcer and spokesperson for Kira. Two people who were involved with the attack were killed. Police took them down after one of the kidnappers drove off on a motorcycle. We are currently releasing pictures; If you have any information about these men, please call police. "

Pictures of 'Mihael Kheel' and 'Rayne Silver' appeared on screen. Beyond looked and saw that they were dead. There was a gasp and he saw Matt was sitting stark upright.  
"No…no this has to be some sick joke."

Beyond smiled as he saw that the date above Matt's head had changed. It now said he would die in a week. Beyond walked forward and pulled up a chair in front of Matt. He crouched down on the chair and stared Matt in the eye. He put his hands on Matt's heaving shoulders and took off Matt's goggles, letting the tears run down Matt's face.

"Hello Mail, Remember me?"


	2. Chapter 2

Matt opened his eyes to a splitting pain in his head. He frowned and blinked his eyes. It was dark and all he could see was a spot of light. He left his tv on again? What time was it? He was going to be late for… the attack. Shit!  
Matt saw the television screen come into focus. On it was a picture of Mello and his eyes were closed. There was a picture of him? Mello never had any pictures of him taken, not that recently as well. Matt leaned forward in his chair only to be stopped short by the tape around his chest.

"No…no this has to be some sick joke."

Matt stared at the dead face of his best friend. He felt his throat plunge down the ground and his head felt so dizzy and light like it was instantly filled with helium. He gasped desperately for air and a face swam into his view.

"Hello Mail, Remember me?" It was that creep from the park.

Oh shit, he knew his real name. He had to get out of there. He started to pull at the tape around his arms as he felt his goggles being lifted. Matt blinked as his eyes adjusted to the light.

"Who the hell are you?" Matt leaned back his head as the man brought his face closer.

"We went to school together, remember?"

Matt blinked then remembered his very first year at Wammy's house, before Mello arrived. It was fuzzy and Matt was an excessive introvert but he always talked with one person.  
There was one guy who was a total failure. He was crazy; he was completely obsessed and apparently even dressed like L. His name was B, one of the original successors. He was roommates with A…before he committed suicide  
Matt remembered that weird guy who liked to sit alone. He was his roommate for a week before he was transferred to Mello's room. He went into the bathroom to see makeup on the counter, eye shadow, powder, eyeliner, and all other cosmetics, which Matt assumed, contributed to his insomniac appearance.

"B?" Matt started to work his hands behind his back, loosening the tape on his hands. He wasn't in the Mafia for nothing. "What are you doing?"

"Saving you. What were you planning to do this night." B didn't move his face from Matt's'

"Oh sorry, were you going to ask me out? You crazy bastard." Matt got his hands free then reached into his back pocket for some wire.

"I'm not flirting with you. Now tell me, or all my hard work will have been in vain." B frowned slightly and pulled one of the kitchen knives from the counter behind him.

"Do it." Matt spat in Beyond's face and started ripping the tape on the chair with the sharp edge of the wire.  
"Hmm, you don't need to. I think I know."

"You were going to go with Mello to catch that Kira woman. You and Mihael were always such good friends. He would be thankful to me that I saved your life."

"You don't know what he wanted." Matt felt the tape start to tear and decided to stall. "How do you know our names?"

"I've always known, from the first time I saw you. You see, I can see your name and lifespan when I look at your face. When I look at your defiant, pale face. That's how I know that your name is Mail Jeevas and you were going to die today, but now you have more time on your hands. Enough to plan the funeral?"

Matt felt the last strand of tape rip and he pulled his arms free. He pulled the gun from his boot and held it to B's chin.

"Shut the hell up right now." Matt snatched the goggles from B's hand and put them around his neck.

There was a silence; the only sound was Matt's heavy breathing. Beyond stepped backwards to a more reasonable distance but he still smiled. Matt kept eye contact as he moved to unfasten his legs. He stood up and held the gun in his now steady hand.

"Move to the wall, hands above your head!" Matt shouted and Beyond slowly moved. As he raised his hands, Matt saw his left hand was clenched and he started to put up his goggles but it was too late.  
Beyond threw the powder into his face, temporarily blinding him. Matt coughed as he inhaled some of the flour. He raised his arms to block from attack but he was unprepared from B's sweeping his legs from under him. He landed flat on his back and B took advantage of that to sit on his chest.

"When I was there, I was number one and you were number four. It really shows now doesn't it? "

Matt tried to push himself but B concentrated all his weight on Matt's chest, causing him to cough, struggling to breath.

"Bastard." Matt coughed.

Beyond leaned forward, casually putting his thumb over Matt's exposed Adam's apple. Matt's breath hitched as Beyond started pushing on his throat

"Before my mother died, she would tell me, 'Speak politely or don't speak at all.' I think you might need a time out." He pushed his entire hand over Matt's throat.

Matt flailed his arms and legs as he felt himself suffocating. His vision blurred and his chest started to ache. The ace turned to searing pain, like someone was stabbing him in the chest with a knife. He looked into the eyes of B as he closed his eyes. He silently thought, what a shitty thing to see before you die.

* * *

Author's Note- "Do one thing that nobody else does and do it well." So, here I am redoing my fanfic with the two least likely characters in death note to actually meet!


	3. Chapter 3

Matt was sitting on his couch, game controller warm in his bare hands. He sat forward, staring intently at the screen of his TV. It was Final Fantasy, number seven to be exact. Matt guided Cloud up the stairs to Aerith. Suddenly, he was in the game.

Matt was walking forward towards Mello. Mello was just standing there, on the platform with his hands clasped together around the rosary he wore. Matt took another step forward then stopped short as he saw a shadow overhead.

Kira! Light's face was set in a grin as he jumped down, death note in hand. Mello seemed oblivious, eyes closed peacefully, as Light started to write down Mello's name.

"Mello!" Matt moved forward towards light but he felt arms clamp tightly around his waist.

"No, there's no rush. Wait a moment Mail." Matt tried to pull out of B's grip but he was too strong.

"Mello! Wake up!" Matt clawed at B's arms but he couldn't free himself.

Matt watched helplessly as Mello fell to the floor. He was on the ground, splayed out like a rag doll. Kira laughed and kicked Mello's body down the stairs. He landed at Matt's feet. B let go of Matt and suddenly Matt felt lost.

Should he run to Mello, Light, B? It was Kira's fault Mello was dead. B's fault Matt couldn't help him. His own fault for not doing something! Matt sat down next to Mello, holding him carefully in his arms. Matt closed his eyes and sobbed. When he opened them, he saw B and Kira were standing over him.

"Well Mail Jeevas, you know what comes next. Don't you?"

* * *

Matt opened his eyes quickly, to find he was looking at the ceiling, his ceiling? God, his head hurt, his throat hurt, and he felt like crap inside and out. He groaned at his dream. Was that considered subliminal messaging or was it just his head screwing with him. Probably punishing him for playing too many video games. Damn.

Matt lifted his head up in a resigned manner. He didn't want to see was had happened. He was thankfully still in his house. He was on the couch and not tied up. That was extremely strange. Did he just make up the whole thing?

Matt swung his legs over the side of the couch and stumbled to the refrigerator. He pulled the door open and saw nothing but strawberry jam. Shit! Matt closed the fridge and looked at the front door. It was locked, not just locked though. The door was slathered with rubber cement and all the furniture Matt's bedroom was pushed against it save the bed. Matt turned quickly and saw the windows were sealed. It would be impossible to open them without creating a lot of noise. Matt looked inside the bathroom to see B with a box of makeup.

B smiled to himself as he applied cream to his face, making it a paler shade. Then he took eye shadow, spreading it under his eyes. Afterwards he took out an eye pencil and drew under his eyes, smudging it with his finger. Chucking to himself he pulled his face away from the mirror. He noticed Matt's face out of the corner and smiled maliciously.

"So good to see you're up. I'll let you have the bathroom in just a second." Kyeh Kyeh Kyeh

* * *

Author's Note- I always pictured Beyond putting on his makeup first thing in the morning. What about you?


	4. Chapter 4

B had his hands in his pockets. He walked around the apartment lazily, moving to the fridge. He grabbed a jar of jam and sat down at the kitchen table with it. He didn't bother to use his fingers and just upended the jar into his mouth. Now that he had gotten some sugar, he could think.

This was a game, and he was winning? Mail was alive but he was going to die in another day. Choices, choices. He could always kill Mail that day and bring back the old L.A case, but the time wasn't right. He'd have no time to find people to help him, and by help he meant kill.

The main focus of this seemingly frivolous exercise? Not to torment Mail, of course not. The main point was to surpass L. Unfortunately it is surprisingly difficult to destroy a dead man. They cannot feel ridicule or paint so he'd have to be creative.

"Hey, B" Matt's rough voice jolted him out of his pensive state.

"Yes?" He absentmindedly swipped his finger around the rim of the sticky jar.

Matt grabbed the jar from B "What in the hell are you doing?"

"Eating my jam. Stop acting like such a child." He pouted and reached for his jam, not getting from his crouched position.

"Acting like a child? What are you playing at you bastard?" The jar was dashed to the ground, covering the tile in stars.

"I'm not playing, I'm also not going to clean that up. " B crossed his arms and looked away from Matt.

He knew what he was doing, frustrating Matt. If he did he might be able to get some information from him. The act fooled Miss Misora years ago so why not now? Acting is part of the game afterall.

Matt seethed and grabbed B's shirtfront. "Listen here, you are not about to try and kill me and then not even say why! I want to know right now why I shouldn't strange you with by bare hands!"

"Manners Mail." B raised a finger and shook it in the other man's face, the other hand reaching for the black jack concealed in his pants.

"My name is Matt!" He let go of B's shirt and pushed him back violently. "I'm getting out of here!"

"Aww, Don't leave me all alone!" His petulant tone only caused Matt's anger to rise.

"Shut up! I'm getting my gun back and when I do you're going to die!" B smiled and started to laugh.

"Kyah, Kyah, Kyah!" He smiled menacingly. "Thank you Mail, I haven't had a reason to laugh in a long time. I was practicing so well too."

"What in the hell are you doing?"

"If you kill me...how will you kill Kira. I assure you, killing me will prove fairly difficult. I have trouble killing myself!" Ahh now nice, an authentic laugh and a truth telling. This day was proving to be very fruitful.

"You're not bullet proof. I know Kira's hideout, his real name, I'm going to go over there and kill him myself. No illusions, no mind games, just two men and a shot of lead."

"And you used to be number three. I guess being subservient to Mihael decreased your intelligence. Being so cocky can't be good for your health." B got up and wandered to the fridge, aware of Matt's stare. He grabbed a jar of jam and raised it in a toast. "Good luck with your suicide mission."

"Well what do you suggest then?" Matt asked with fake enthusiasm.

"I'll get you to Kira. It shouldn't be hard. You leave your important documents out so I've already memorized the location." He gulped down the thick paste.

"Like I'd ever trust you." Matt started picking the caulking off the windows.

"You shouldn't. Especially as you've just turned your back to me." B threw the jam at Matt's head. Matt stumbled and B took that opportunity to shove Matt in his room.

"Time out!" He sang as he locked and barricaded the door. He went to the kitchen to clean up the glass, whistling to the beat of Mail's beatings against the door.

He'd cut his foot on the glass just there and he could feel the bottom of him foot become wet, leaving footprints around. He picked up the glass between his thumb and forefinger, throwing it in the trash.

He moved to the kitchen table, crouching on a chair he took out his cellphone.

426-5472.

The phone rang several times. It was picked up finally by a young man with a smooth voice. He assumed it was Light. Looking through Mello's files on the Kira case, B got down to the case.

"Hello?"

"Hello Kira." B smiled, he could hear a sharp intake of air.

"Excuse me? I believe you have the wrong number."

"No, this is Light Yagami, or Kira's cellphone number."

"I'm not Kira. However, if you have information of Kira I'd be glad for any information." The tone was polite, formal, but clipped short.

"Okay then, I have a certain person named Mail Jeevas. He's of no use to me, but perhaps you could take him under your loving wing." He kept his tone light and airy but listened hard to Light.

"Mail Jeevas? Never heard of him. If he was information about the Kira case, tell him to phone me himself. Now, good day."

B sighed as he hung up as he heard the dial tone sound. Well, that was one job down, that man was definately Kira. Now he would have to meet him. This man is L's arch rival. It should be fun going to play with him.

* * *

Author's Note- I'm sorry for the incrediably late update! I got caught up with another fanfic. **"Memories Need Cleaning Too"**. Yeah that was a shameless plug.

Many thanks to crimeson-plasma and Eva N loves you for their reviews...also reminding me to update. It's a sad fact, I update when I get more reviews. Another shameless plug.

I'll try to update by next weekend, Happy Thanksgiving Americans!


	5. Chapter 5

Matt sat in his room. God, it was like being put in time out all over again.

* * *

"Matt, stop licking your fingers and get over here!" Mello barked from across the room.

"Hmm? yeah, sure." He finished licking the creamy white frosting from his fingers and ran over to his best friend who was trying to clean up all the ingredients from the birthday cake they had prepared.

"Clean up!" He pointed at the mess of flour and cocoa on the counter and Matt rolled his eyes.

"Yes sir." He sarcastically groaned, grabbing a rag from the sink. Swabbing at the counter top, he started to zone off, it was three in the morning and they had snuck from their rooms to the kitchen.

The really reason, you could say, was birthdays. Birthdays wern't celebrated at Wammy's because of the same reason of fake names. They all shared a collective birthday normally celebrated in the middle of the year. Mello had insisted that he have his own celebration and so, they went down to make a cake.

"Matt, wake up. The cake's ready." Matt found himself sprawled alseep on the counter top, flour in his hair. He shook his head and grabbed two forks from the side drawer. There wasn't enough time to ice the cake so they did something different.

"Happy birthday Mello." Matt dipped his fork in the icing, then the warm chocolate cake. They both sat there in happy silence. In the light of a flashlight sitting on the cold tiled floor it seemed like nothing else could of been so wonderful.

Four hours later, They were called into the office where they both sat in the familiar wooden chairs. Roger looked at them over the bridge of his glasses and sighed. Mello glared at him while Matt was staring out the window at the new falling snow. Perhaps they could make a snowman later.

"You both know why you're in here. I want to make this very clear. You do not go about unauthorized activities here in Wammys. You are both smart enough to know that."

"Uh-huh."

"You will both be restricted to your rooms for next week during free period. That means no playing with the other children, and no going outside. You are dismissed."

* * *

It always was a bit lonely. No video games to distract him, nobody to talk to. It was eerily quite within the cold halls of Wammys. It was irrational to be lonley though because he wouldn't be in exactly fourty seven minutes. He wouldn't bother wishing he was outside because he would be in another six days.

It wasn't worth rationalizing everything because life is unpredictable.

Heh, unpredictable would be an understatement.

* * *

Beyond got up from his crouch and cracked his knuckles. He had been working on his computer for a good several hours and had learned some very interesting things about his new 'friend' Light Yagami. Needless to say that he found quite quickly that he was staying in a hotel in the United States. He could arrange to meet him then. It was lucky then that they wern't too far away. One trip by car and they'd be there.

He had checked and they wouldn' be able to use Matthew's car. It was licenced under one of Mail's other fake names. The police were looking for the false identitiy of a false identity who was planned to attack Takada.

He liked having this crowning seat. To be able to see from an omnipotent view of everything. Like the chess master he could see the move of every piece, directing them until they reached the desired outcome.

When most people play chess, they do not coddle and valiantly try to protect their pawns. Nor do they protect their other less powerful players. They focus on a main stratagy and give and take in order to achieve that goal. Mail Jeevas wasn't the queen in his plan. He was perhaps a rook, or even a bishop. Useful, but not necessary. After all, it was possible to win a game with only a queen and a king.

He took the printed piece of paper showing a map to the hotel. It would take two hours to drive there, three if they had to rest a car. He would have to forge another identity or steal one. He moved to the window and looked outside.

He could see a couple people walking around on the street , one or two driving their cars. He looked closely and saw the name of one of the drivers. He blond and was driving a bright red car. His name was "Alfred F Jones" licence plate, "Teh Hero".

Easy enough to get his personal information. It was trickier that usual to get his personal information, but it was possible. Strange though, he lived...at the white house? Shrugging he knocked on the door of Mail's room.

"Time to go Mail."

* * *

Author's Note- Okay, there was an extremely obvious Hetalia reference here. I rather enjoyed it. The flashback was fun. I rather enjoy writing flashbacks if you've been reading any of my other stories. The winter thing is another reference to Mello's actual birthday. Thanks for the reading and the reviewing!


	6. Chapter 6

Light sat in a chair in the hotel they were operating from. He was doing some light research on the background of Mello, reading over the police reports from his death. He was doing this work as extra but his tie was done up tightly. He wore a dress shirt and pants immaculately cleaned.

It was all going just fine, Mello's death was a welcome assistance and it wouldn't be long before he would fly back to Japan to meet with Near. He had been delayed a few days because of a careless mistake by Matsuda. He had been distracted because he said he'd seen someone who looked like L walking downtown and in his excitement bought tickets for the right time, but a week later.

The hotel room was empty for once but he didn't let down his guard. He knew that he was back in suspicion of being Kira and he wouldn't dare make any false moves. Light was just opening his email when the phone rang.

He picked up the phone,

"Hello."

"Hello again. You said to come visit you, so here I am." B's hoarse voice dripped out the reciever of the phone into Light's ear. It was that voice again, that familiar voice.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh? Well, what is that quote? 'Seeing is believing'." From the other end of the receiver he heard the sounds of traffic.

"Who are you?" He kept his tone formal, it could just be some crazy person.

"Call me...B" He heard the sound of an ambulance from the phone and seconds later, he heard the screaming ambulance pass outside the window. Damn.

"B? I'm afraid I still cannot understand you." Light was beginning to get annoyed. He was being accused of Kira by another letter.

"Then we'll talk in person. Either I come up or you come down to meet me. I'll be in the coffee shop across the street. Be there in five minutes or I'll come up there."

Light was left with the dial phone buzzing in his ear. What should he do? He could ignore B, but he knew he was Kira. He most likely had proof as well. The best idea would be to kill him, or buy off his silence. He would have to go face to face with this new adversary.

* * *

Matt was not happy at all. He was sat in the corner of an old cafe. Not just the corner mind you. The furthest table in the corner, shoved into the corner by the freak who was pushing him into the two intersecting walls in the booth style seats.

"Shove off B." He grumbled, crossing his arms.

B stirred his coffee and jabbed his elbow into the other man's ribs. "Just a moment, I can't have you escaping at this important time."

Ha, important his ass. To be completely honest, Matt had stopped caring a while ago. What was left for him to do? Go back to the mafia and catch Kira on his own? Fat chance he would ever do that. If he got out of this he would go solo and make his own career as far from any memory of Mello as possible. You can't outrun your past but you can do a pretty damn good job of fooling yourself that you have.

"Fuck you."

"As I love you."

The sarcasm was nearly as thick as the black sludge sitting in their coffee cups. B had ordered two and had filled both completely to the top with sugar. No not artificial sweetener, pure cane sugar according to the small brown wrappers that littered the table.

Matt was engaging in the ever interesting game of blowing the small wrappers off the table when he looked up into the eyes of Light Yagami himself.

There was a silence where the air seemed to turn to water. Light had a look of undisguised shock staring at B as if he'd seen a ghost. He looked as if he were about to throttle him. B was staring down Light, in the middle of slurping a thick cup of coffee.

Matt would of attacked Light in broad daylight if there wasn't a heavy table and B's surprisingly strong arm blocking his bath. He felt his lips curl into a growl as his arm reached down for his missing gun.

* * *

Light entered the cafe, his eyes quickly scanned the room as he walked in. At the back he saw the table he was supposed to meet 'B' at.

His eyes fell on a...familiar face.

"L" he gasped softly. Meters from him sat the ghost of his rival. It had to be a ghost, it looked like L. The spiky black hair, the pale skin and dark bags under his eyes. Even the trademarked crouching form sipping his coffee.

It looked wrong though. Like a picture photocopied. The hair was slightly too dark, the skin not pale enough, the face slightly too oval to be the real L. What was that abomination that sat in front of him? L's twin, had he been cloned, it wasn't too far fetched to assume L had cloned himself.

It took a moment for Light to find his voice but he did. Coughing first he disregarded the red headed man next to the ghost.

"And you are B?"

* * *

Author's Note- Sorry for missing a week anonymous viewers. I'll get the next one up, perhaps on time. It depends on the holidays coming up really. Have a happy ***insert culturally aware statement here*** Because the phrase Happy Holidays is overused.


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